Brian F. O’Neill (Ph.D. 2022 – University of Illinois/ 2023 – Université Sorbonne Nouvelle) is environmental sociologist and ethnographer focusing on infrastructure, the politics of climate change adaptation, and social inequalities. He currently holds the position of postdoctoral scholar at the University of Washington’s Evans School of Public Policy & Governance. Much of his work seeks to mobilize the productive intellectual tensions at the intersections of sociology, political ecology, science and technology studies, and the policy sciences. Specifically, his research revolves around the problematization of climate adaptation policies. In so doing, he takes a specific interest in what are sometimes described as “unconventional” infrastructural practices at the frontier zones of nature/society (e.g., desalination, hydraulic fracturing, maritime surveillance, offshore wind energy) as these reveal the emerging political dynamics of the so-called “Anthropocene.” Such a focus informs points of departure from mainstream understandings of notions like “adaptation,” “sustainability,” “transparency,” or even “environmental justice,” none of which can be taken for granted. Rather, his work analyzes how such concepts are increasingly located and politicized at the boundaries of popular discourse, the field of policymaking, and various scientific fields. Brian’s current book project, titled: Disciplining Waters, draws from his historical ethnography of the desalination industry as a means to understand how the ocean became enrolled, and politicized as a specifically capitalist resource frontier from the close of the second world war to the present day. His work has been published in a variety of venues, such as Environment and Planning E: Nature and Space, Journal of World-systems Research, International Sociology, The Sociological Quarterly, Visual Studies, Human Geography, and more.

When Brian is not reading and writing at his desk or researching in the field, he enjoys a number of productive distractions that feed into his scholarly practice. Namely, he is an avid photographer and art critic. For example, he helps run the independent publishing house, Immaterial Books and frequently writes for The Photobook Journal, specializing in urban and environmental issues. He is also a long-time baseball fan.